Jake Taylor is a fourth-year medical student at the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah pursuing a career in general surgery. His clinical and scholarly interests include rural and global surgery, trauma care, health equity, and medical education. Through poetry and medical humanities, he explores vulnerability, stigma, and the role of compassion in caring for patients experiencing serious illness.
In clinic halls where silence drapes the walls, She wanders close, a breath both light and frail. With child she walks, though scarce she eats at all, And hunger’s specter shades her skin so pale. The charts recount her weary, whispered fears, Of weight, of size, the mirrors’ harsh replies; Her hollow eyes reflect the haunted years Where famine looms and reason slowly dies. Once, madness wore a coarser robe of shame, Labeled …
Medical student Sabrina Lazar discovers a local MENA-owned grocery store that offers not only essential ingredients but also a sense of community.
In this piece, Afua Ofori-Darko discusses how medical education has focused on tokenism on a way to achieve diversity. Specifically, Afua discusses her journey as the token Black girl and how tokenism harms URiM students and the institutions to which they belong.
Entering the field of medicine can be daunting, especially if you are the first physician in the family. Current intern Dr. Ervin Anies discusses the emotions associated with assimilating into the culture of medicine and how we as providers can use our diversity to foster better relationships between providers and our patients.
Tim Niyogusaba, a third-year medical student, meditates on his fulfilling yet fatiguing experiences during clinical rotations.
Dr. Erin Saner reflects on the importance of underrepresented minorities and representation in clinical care and education.
Ana Jimenez, a fourth-year medical student, describes her encounter with Micah, a coffee-making, DJ-ing, emergency medicine resident.
Medical student Rebekah Russell reflects on her experience with the healthcare system during a miscarriage.
Medical student Ana Jimenez reflects on her experience during her surgery rotation.
Medical student Katelyn Girtain writes about her experiences as a child of a disabled mother that contributed to the lack of proper insurance and ultimately the occurrence of preventable health issues. She also explores relevant policies and the lack of literature on the impacts of parental disability/lack of insurance on children.
Medical student Sara Phillips writes a personal reflection, grounded in scholarly literature, that details her exploration of racism as a mechanism for perpetuating disparities in maternal health outcomes. The piece traces discriminatory policies and actions undertaken by physicians and leaders in the field of obstetrics and gynecology to portray a historical origin for contemporary health inequities. Interacting with these grim stories and statistics, she reflects on what it means for her to seek out a career in OB/GYN to confront this prejudicial history and create a more just path forward.
Medical student Micaela Mcgregor gives profound advice to other future black doctors who will one day represent only 4% of practicing American physicians.
Medical Student Contributing Writer
University of Oklahoma from Tulsa
I am a third year medical student at the University of Oklahoma from Tulsa, Oklahoma pursuing a career in Internal Medicine. I am passionate about racial inequities in healthcare, women's health, and my Akita Harper!
